Sheet-delivery mechanism for printing-presses.



G. A. FRIESS.

vSHEET DELIVERY MECHANISM FOR PRINTING PRESSES.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 4. 1916.

- 1,280302. Patented Oct. 3, 1918.

4 SHEETSS'HEET 1- G. A. FRIESS.

SHEET DELIVERY MECHANISM FOR PRINTING PRESSES.

APPLICATION FiLED APR. 4. 1916- w Patented Oct. b, 1918.

rm; NORRIS PETERS on. Imam-1.1mm. wasmlmmn n. c.

G. A. FRIESS. SHEET DELIVERY MECHANISM FOR PRINTING PRESSES. APPLICATION FILED APR.4, 1916.

1,280,702. Patented m. 8,1918.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

e; A. FRIESS.

SHEET DELIVERY MECHANISM FOR PRINTING PRESSES.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 4.1916.

Patented Oct. 8, 1918.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

GUSTAV A. names, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SHEET-DELIVERY? MECHANISM non rnmrrne-rnnssns.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GUsTAv A. Fnmss, subjectof the Emperor of Germany, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sheet-Delivery Mechanism for Printing-Presses; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in sheet delivery mechanism forv printing presses, and more particularly to sheet delivery mechanism for so-called cylinder presses in which the sheet passes between companion printing cylinders.

The particular objects of the present invention are: i

To provide sheet delivery mechanism which is constructed and arranged to positively engage the edge portion of each sheet as the latter is released by the sheet-gripping mechanism of the printing elements, and will draw said sheet at the same speed at which it would be delivered from between the companion printing elements by ,the frictional engagement of the sheet between the opposed surfaces of the latter, thus effecting the proper requisite movement of the sheet entirely independently of the frictional engagement thereofand by delivery thereof from between said printing elements.

A further object of the invention isto provide sheet-delivery mechanism which will operate primarily to positively insure delivery of sheets from between the printing elements, and will deliver the same upon sheet delivery means adapted to effect deposit of the sheets accurately upon a given surface.

A further object of the invention is to providesheet-delivery means adapted to deposit sheets so that one edge thereof will first contact with the stack and the balance of the sheet follow, whereby the formation of an air cushion belowthe sheet is prevented and its accurate deposit by gravity assured. Other objects of the invention will'appear from the following specification. 1

The invention consists in the features of construction and combinations of parts here Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed April 4, 1916. "Se ria1No. 88,822.

Patented Oct. s; 191

inafter fully described and j claimed. 7

In the accompanying drawings illustrate ing the invention: H 7 7 Figure 1 is, a vertical longitudinal sectional view ofportions of a printing press and sheet delivery mechanism therefor constructed in accordance with my invention taken on the line 1-1 of Fig. 2

Fig. 2 is atop plan view of the same partly in section on the line 2-2 of Fig.

Fig. 3 is a transversesection of the same on the line 3-3 of Fig. '1-.;.; Fig. t is a detail transverse section on the line 4-4 of Fig. g .Fig- .,is'a detail section on theline 5+5 of Fig. '4: showing the sheet-grip pers of the delivery mechanism in engaging relation tothe sheet as the latter isreleased by the sheet-gripping mechanism of the pressure cylinder.. 7 p i Fig. -.6.is a fragmentary detail plan view on-a-nenlarged scale of a portion Ofa carrier constituting a part of the mechanism, F ig..7+ is'a fragmentary detail vertical section of the same on the line. 77 of Fig. ,8 is a fragmentary detail plan view showing a stripper constituting a part of a carrier of the mechanism.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary detail vertical particularly section of the same on the line 99 of Fig.

' Fig. +10J is a fragmentary detail vertical longitudinal section illustrating thearrangement of a movable carrier belt, employed. W I

My' present invention is particularly designedand adaptedv foryguse on. printing presses of the typeknown as rotogravure presses, examples of which are illustrated and described inmy copending applications Ser. Nos. 88,823, 88,833 and 77,839, and more particularly in connection with cylinder printing presses in which the pressure cylinder is equipped with sheet-gripping mechanism constructed in accordance with the invention described andclaimed in my aforesaid copending application Ser. No. 77,839.

My present invention includes a reciprocable carriage equipped with sheet-gripping mechanism, which is actuated to position sheet-gripping mechanism in engaging relation to the sheets to grip the latter at the precise moment that the sheet is released by the sheet-gripping" mechanisnrof said pressure ,cylinder. The said carriage is further timed in speed of reciprocable movement to accord with the surface speed of. the cylinders 01": the press so that upon gripping each sheet the latter will bemaintained taut between the edge portion thereof engaged with the carrier,-' and- --that portion whichis disposed between and v in engagement with the cylinder surfaces, thereby preventing the sheet adhering to the surface of either cylinder and becoming sinudge'd-orblurred by a movement. relatively to the inked surface with which it might remain in contact.-

In the accom anying drawings '1 have shown only so much of the present frame and mechanism as "is necessaryjto a proper illustration ofthe present mechanism. Thus, for example, I have shown] the prinnnggc nnder' land pressure or tynipan cablesheet gripper mechanism illustrated and 'd'escribed'in my aforesaid cop'ending' applicatioi'i Ser; No 778391 This mechanism is, as'fully-clisclosed in said copending application, arranged to release the edges: of the sheets substantially at the momentthat said grip ing mechanism passes the plane or line of opposed surface portions of the cylinders 1 and 2' between which "the sheet is engaged in printing the same. At this time the anvil member A of this sheet-gripping mechanism of the cylinder is disposed 'atthe outer limit of its movement. Between the several-companion clamping members B of this gripper the said anvil member is provided 'withrecess'es 0 adapted to receive the outerends' -3 of'rigid members oftheisheet gri ping mechanism of the carriage d; The latter consists of two side members each car ried by a rack-bar 5-suitablymounted to move longitudinally in inclined guides (3 provided therefor on the press frame. The said side members of thecarriage are rigidly connected with each other by'meansof two .eross-barsY and 8 Therigidmembers 3- of the sheet-gripping means are suitably secured t0- the said cross-bar 7 whilethe co1npanion movable or clamping members?) of said sheet grippers are: mounted ona-rock- 'shaft' 10 j ournaled in bearings in the upper ends-of said side members-a of the carriage, The frame 6, up'on whichthe said carriage is reeiprocably movable, consists of two parallel side rails suitably supported upon the side members 11 of the press frame, and

which are'conn'e'cted with each other at their lower ends by means of a cross-bar 12.

tion=-16 of a' collarlt' mounted on the crossbar 8 A he ical compression spring: 18 is interposed between the opposed surfaces'oi' the arm'l-l-z projection 16, and serves to maintain said arm ll normally atthe upper limit of its inci ement, and the grippermenr b'ers' 9 in contact with the gripper menibers 3..

Secured to one side of the projection 16 is a Hat" spring 19 which is provided 'con tiguous to its outer end with .aprojection 20*ha ving a lower surface extending perpendicularly to the-body portion of the spring, and havingan inclinedsui'face which is adapted to be engaged by he arm 14: as said rm is niored. from the upper to the lower limitof its movement, whereby to force said spring back and cause said projection 20 to spring into the path of the upper surface of said arm 14' as the latter attains the position shown in Fig.'-7' for the purpose of .holdingitin that-- position during the upward stroke of the carriage L Mounted on the cross-bar12is a bifurcated projection 21. carryingv an antifriction roller 22 which. is disposed in the path of the curved end por tion-ot the arm 1% and-is engaged by the latter as thecarriage l-app'roaches the lower limit of its movement thus'turn-ing thesaid arm 14; and; the shaft 10 against the action oi the spring- 18 to the position shown in Pirotally mounted between its ends upon a side rail 6 ofthe frame in which said carriage is reciprecably' movable, is a lever 23 equippedat one end with an anti-friction roller 24:, and at its other end-with a setserew Mounted on one end ot the cylinderQ-is a eampjrojection 26' inthe path of which-the anti-friction roller is disposed, the latterbeingadapted tobe forcedby said projection 26 outwardly from the end of the cylinder Q-thereby effecting a movement of the set-screw 25in the opposite direction. The reeiprocable movement oi the carriage cylinder as to cause the outer end portion the recesses of the anvil member of the sheet-gripping devices carried by the cylinder 2, thus throwing said projection 20 out of the path of the arm 14 and permitting the latter to be moved by the springlS to effect a gripping of the sheet between the members 3, and the companion members 9, carried by the shaft 10. The said set-screw 25 is disposed at a sufficient elevation above the arm 14 to be out ofthe path of move ment of the latter as the same is tripped.

Reciprocation of the carriage is effected from a cam 27 mounted on a shaft 28 journaled in bearings in the press frame and carrying the gearing for effecting rotation of the cylinder 2. The said cam 27 is what is usually termed an eccentric cam hav-f mg a groove which 1s eccentric to the axis of rotation thereof and which, in the instance illustrated, is what is technically known as slightly heartshaped, that is to say, a portion 29 of the cam groove 30 is deflected inwardly to more nearly approach the axis of rotation than the immediately contiguous portions of said groove. Engaging in the groove 30 of said cam is an anti-friction roller 31 mounted uponone end of a reciprocable bar-or plunger 32 longitudinally movable in a suitable guide on the press-frame. This plunger; 32 carries a rack-bar 33 which meshes with a segmental gear 34 rigid with a rock shaft 35journaled in bearings in one of the side members of the press frame, Rigid with said shaft 35 is a segmental gear 36 of greater radius which meshes with a spur pinion 27 on a shaft 38 journaled in bearings in theside members, 6 of the carriagesupporting frame. The said shaft 38 car-. ries similar pinions which mesh with the rack bars 5, thus reciprocating said rackbars, and the carriage 4 in accordance with the opposite rocking movements of the segmental gear 36. p g

It will be noted that, as shown in Fig.

-l, upon a rotation of the cam 27 the shaft 50 overwhich belts 51 are trained,

plunger 32 and rack '33 will be moved to ward the shaft 28, and this will move the carriage 4 to the upper limit of its movement. gages in the portion 29 of the cam-groove the said carriage will be momentarily at rest, and it is in this interval of rest that the sheet is gripped between the gripper members 3 and 9, and in whichit is released by the sheet-gripping members of the cylinder 2. Immediately following the release and gripping of the sheetrespectively, the carriage-4 will begin its reverse movement, thus aulling the sheet from between the cylinc ers 1 and 2 and maintaining the same taut without, however, hastening its -de1iv= As the anti-friction roller 31 'enery, the movement-of the, carriage being timed to accord exactly in speed with the surfacespeed ofthecylin'ders ,1) and 2 as aforesaid. I 2 I e The sheet will beinaintained. engaged between the grippers 3and 9until the'carriage approaches the lower limit of its movement and' the gripper members?) are raised by'the engagement of the arms 14 of the shaft 10 with the anti-friction roll'er22. -The sheet is thus released... from engagement by the grippers, but the latter continue their rearwardi movement following. the-primary opening movementof the grippers to release thesheet, Mounted on'the cross-bars7 and 8 is a member 39' equippedwith two vcollars 40 engaging said crossbars. Mounted in said member 40 are'two set-screws 41 and 42, the shanks ofwhich passzthrough a longitudinal slot in'a reciprocable stripper43.

The latter is equipped at one end with a flange 44 in which isa set-screw, 45 adapted to .engage anangle plate 46 mounted on the cross-bar 13 in; the path of said: set-screw. The other end ofsaid member 43is pro videdwithca'flange 47 which is adapted to abut against the grippededge of the sheet. Mounted in :said member 43 is a. set-screw 48 with which one end'of a helical tension spring 49 is ,engaged, the latter being'en gaged atv 1ts other end with theiset-screw 42,. and being adapted to hold said stripper member-s3, and will dropeupon the belts15 which are maintained constantly in motion toefi'ect continued movement of the sheet deposited thereon in the same direction as the same 'isica-rried'by the carriage 4. j Contiguousto and parallel withthe shaft 14 overwhich the belts -15 iaretrained is a the latter being also trained over other rollers, as I will now describe.

Mounted on the press frame are two parallel guide rods 52, constituting rails for the side members of a carriage 53, said side members being suitably connected together by'means of the cross-rods 54. J ournaled at its ends in the upper, .ends of the side membersof-theisaid' carriage 53 is a shaft 55 over which said belts 51 are-also trained. .Thesaidcarriage .53 is adapted to. bereciprocated thus]. effecting a recipro'cable movement of the shaft {55 relatively to the shaft .50. Contiguous-tosaidshaft 50 and disposed between the same and "the" carriage 53 is an idle shaft 56' overwhich said belts 51 are trained, said 1 belts: being further trained over a shaft 67, journaled in b'earings of another carriage 58 at the other side of' the shaft 28,- and which is connected with the carriage '53- by means of the connecting rods 59. 1 I

The said. carriage 58 is reciprocable. on the guide: rods 60 mounted onithe-pressframe; and is rigid with rack-bars 61. The latter mesh with a spurgear'62mounted on a stu'd-shaftcarried bythe press frameg and this in turn mesheswith a spur-'gear 63' on a similar shaft'also" carrying a spur 'pin-ionh f. The Iatter meshes with a: spur gear 65' rigid with whichgis a spurpinioi'i fitir The latter meshes with segmental spur gear: 67,

rigidly mounted'on a rock shaft h8 keyed to a segmental spur gear 69 meshing with a recip'rocable rack 7(),in'ountedin guides in the press frame, and which is equipped with a It will be seen that, as 'the carriagetmoves toward th upper limit of" its movement,

the carriages 53 and 58' will move in the opp'o'site direction, and at'a speed greater than the speed of movement of the carriage 4: in order-to cover a greateraength of travel 'dur''- ing" thesame interval of time. The speed of travel of the belts 51 is preferably equalto the speed of travel of the carriages -53'and 58, and the direction oftravel'of' said belts 51 is 'suchthat the" sheet supporting surfaces of the sal netend'to move the sheet't0 ward the flange 72 at theend of the sheet receiving platform 7 3 upon which the sheets are adapted and intended to b'e deposited. Thus, as the sheets are delivered up'on the belts 15, they wi'llbe carried by the'latter to the belts 51 and at substantially that'moment that the lower edge of each sheet conta'ets with said belt, the shafttewillbegi n its movement toward the fl'an ge" 72. Inasmuch as the speed of travelof the belts 51 is equal to the speed of travelin said'direction'of'saidcarriage 53, the sheet deliveredupon the belts 51 will remain practically stationary with relation to' the shaft 55 dirring' thesaid movement'of the latter, but on beginning its rear movement it will be obviousthat the'helts- 51 will maintain the' same' speed and' tlru's'jthe su porting surfaces-*for the sh t will be'withdrawn from underneath thesame, and-i saidshet will be gradually deposited upon the stacksup portednpen said p late 73, and such1 ;d'e fosit will be made by the forwardend o the sheet fiiss-filfi ifig 'ifi seamst ess the sapmeet-7'02 porting surface thereof and the remainder of the sheet will gradually follow the sa'me,- thus preventing the formation of an air cushion underneath" the sheet whereby the latter may become displaced. Obviously stripper mechanism may beassociated' with the shaft 55 and belts 51 to further insure a. proper positioning of successive sheets on the stack, but I have found such stripper mechanism to be super fluous.

The'ope-ration of my said sheet-delivery mechanismwillbe fully understood from the foregoing description. While I have shown the preferred 'embodiment'of theinvention, it will be understood, of course, that th'esamemay be changed and varied in cer tain details of construction withoutdeparting from-the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention '1. Sheet-deliverymechanism for printing presses including a reciprocable carrier equipped with sheet grip'ping means, com

I prising a'member fixed to said carriage and a coacting movable member, means external of said carrier for effecting opening and closure of said sheet-gripping means, a part of said means disposed on a printing element ofthe press, sheet-stripping means on said carrier associated with the said gripping means for throwing sheets oi'it ofengaging relationto the latter as they are released, and a' c arrier for receiving the sheets.

2. Sheet-delivery mechanism for prii'i'ting presses including a continuously traveling carrier belt, a pair of shafts jonrnaled in bearings in the press frame and over which a second belt is' t ainedyone of said shafts being driven, a reciproca'ble carriage carrying a pair of idle-shaftsover which said second belt is trained, and gearing for reciproeating said carriage at substantially the speed of travel of said second belt, wherebv a sheet deposited on said belt will be carried forward without appreciable movement relative to said carriage as the latter moves in one direction and the second belt will be withdrawn from beneath said sheet as said carriage moves in the opposite direction, mechanism interposed between said carrier and the printing mechanism of the press for delivering sheets upon said carrier, and gearing between said carriage and said mechanism of th'e'press for effecting synchronous movement of said parts. 1

'3. Sheet-deliverymechanism for printing presses including a continuously traveling carrier belt, a pair of shaftsjournaled in bearings in the press frame'and over which a'second belt is trained, one'of said shafts being driven, a recip'rocable carriage carrying a pair of idle shafts over which said secbelt 1S trained, and gearing for reciprosating A at substantially the speed of travel of said second belt, whereby ative to said carriage as the latter moves in one direction and the second belt will be withdrawn from beneath said sheet as said carriage moves in the opposite direction, and a reciprocable sheet carrier associated with said belt and carriage and the printing mechanism of the press for transferring sheets from the latter to the former.

4. Sheet-delivery mechanism for printing presses including a continuously traveling carrier belt, a pair of shafts jonrnaledin bearings in the press frame and over which a second belt is trained, one of said shafts being driven, a reciprocable carriage carrying a pair of idle-shafts over which said second belt is'trained, and gearing for reciproeating said carriage at substantially the Speed of travel of said second belt, whereby a sheet deposited on said belt will be car- Gopies of thispatent may be obtained for ried forward withoutappreciable movement relative to said carriage as the latter moves in one direction and the second belt Will be Withdrawn from beneath said sheet as said carriage moves in the opposite direction, .a reclprocable sheet carrier associated W1th said belt and carriage and the printing mechanism of the press for transferring sheets from the latter to the former, and a carrier belt interposed between said reciprocable carrier and said carriage adapted to receive sheets from the former and deliver the same upon the belt trained over the idleshafts of the latter. I

In testimony whereof I have signed my name in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GUSTAV A. FRIESS;

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

